


enduring

by ShirosRedKnight (SweetFanfics)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Season 2 spoilers, post blade of marmora, shiro reassures keith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-09-19 07:39:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9427127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetFanfics/pseuds/ShirosRedKnight
Summary: “Can you stop?” Keith says, making Shiro freeze halfway to his boyfriend. There’s a broken quality to Keith’s voice that makes Shiro’s heart ache.“Stop what?”Shaking his head, Keith looks away from Shiro. “Stop treating me like everything's okay. Like everything hasn’t changed.”--After everyone is up to date, Shiro comforts Keith.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this GORGEOUS fanart by Volpr0n
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> [RT here.](https://twitter.com/VOLPR0N/status/823092651264118784)

They don’t get a chance to be alone until they’re in the armor room. While the distance between them is but a few feet, to Shiro it seems as though a chasm has opened up between them. Since the trials, since Kolivan revealed that Keith has Galra blood in him, Keith has been quiet.

  


Quieter still after he’d told the rest of the team. Shiro recalls the stricken look that had flashed across Keith’s face when Allura had found out. As he puts his gauntlets away, Shiro turns to look at Keith, wondering how he’s doing.

  


“Oh,” Shiro blinks at the Blade of Marmora uniform Keith’s wearing underneath his paladin armor. “You didn’t give that back?”

  


Keith glances over at him before looking down at himself. His lips twist into something like a sneer before Keith turns his attention back to putting his armor away neatly. “No. They said it’s mine now.”

  


“Because you managed to awaken your blade?” When Keith nods, Shiro turns back to his task. “Makes sense. Does it feel any different than your paladin bodysuit?”

  


A dismissive shrug.

  


“Did you try using that face mask that Ulaz and Kolivan had? That seemed like a really cool feature. You should show it to Pidge. Maybe she and Hunk can reverse engineer it fo-”

  


Keith slams his palm against the controls but it doesn’t make the glass door slide down any faster. The display seals with a pressurized hiss. Shiro stands in place, holding his breath as he waits for Keith to say something.

  


But he doesn’t. He just remains standing in front of his paladin armor, chin to his chest. With his hair partially covering his face, Shiro’s not sure what kind of face he’s making. But he just knows in his gut that Keith is hurting.

  


He takes a step forward.

  


“Can you stop?” Keith says, making Shiro freeze halfway to his boyfriend. There’s a broken quality to Keith’s voice that makes Shiro’s heart ache.

  


“Stop what?”

  


Shaking his head, Keith looks away from Shiro. “Stop treating me like everything's okay. Like everything hasn’t changed.”

  


Shiro counts three steps between them. He takes the first step while asking, “Has it?”

  


“Of course it has!” Keith finally turns towards him. _Glaring_ at him as he slaps his palm against his chest. “I’m part _Galra!_  That changes _everything_.”

  


Another step and he can reach out to touch Keith. “I don’t see how.”

  


With a frustrated gesture, Keith angrily mutters, “How are you _not_ getting this?”

  


Shiro raises his right hand, keenly aware of the sound of the gears whirring as it moves. He curls his fingers around Keith’s bicep. “Do you remember what you told me about my arm?”

  


The sudden change of topic makes Keith’s brows furrow. He stares in confusion at Shiro, shaking his head slightly to indicate he doesn’t know what Shiro’s talking about.

  


“You’ve told me so many times that this,” he gives Keith’s bicep a small squeeze. “Doesn’t change who I am. I’m part Galra too but it doesn’t change who I am. Isn’t that what you tell me?”

  


“That’s _different_.” Keith insists weakly, curling his fists against Shiro’s chest.

  


Shiro’s question is a tender inquiry, “Why?”

  


Shaking his head, Keith presses his face against Shiro’s chest with a mumbled, “It just is.”

  


He can’t help but huff an amused chuckle at Keith’s stubbornness. Shiro also can’t stop himself from giving his boyfriend a good, tight hug. The kind he’s wanted to give since the trials stopped. Keith relaxes against him, sliding his arms around Shiro’s body.

  


They stand like that for a long moment. Shiro takes that time to formulate an answer that he hopes will help settle Keith’s doubts. He tightens his grip on the younger man. Shiro closes his eyes and whispers, “It doesn’t matter if you’re part Galra because you’re still you. Where you come from? What’s in your blood? That doesn’t change _who you are_.”

  


“Who am I?”

  


The teeny quality of Keith’s voice breaks Shiro’s heart. He pulls back. Uses a finger to tilt Keith’s chin up so that their eyes meet. His smiles is a tender-gentle thing directed at Keith’s lost expression. “You’re Keith. Paladin of Voltron. The guy who found a hurt baby bird on campus and took care of it 'till it was well enough to fly away on its own. The guy who gave a lost kid a piggyback ride for two hours to help him find his moms again.”

  


Shiro recites a laundry list of deeds which, for him, make up the core of who Keith is. Taciturn but kind. Sarcastic but funny. Impulsive but a fast thinker. Competitive but loyal. Someone who has had Shiro’s back ever since they became fast friends.

  


“You being Galra?” Shiro whispers, smiling helplessly as he tenderly brushes Keith’s hair off his cheeks. “It doesn’t change the fact that you’re my _home._ ”

  


With a helpless noise, Keith surges forward. The kiss is off center and too hard. It’s exactly what they both need. It tastes of copper-blood and black-desperation. Shiro gently runs his tongue across Keith’s split lip, a shiver running down his spine at the whimper it births.

  


Keith’s hands slide up his chest. One hand cups the back of his head, guiding Shiro into a kinder, sweeter kiss that makes him pull his younger lover closer. A thumb sweeps across the edge of Shiro’s buzzed hair, sending small shivers down his spine. In retaliation, Shiro gives Keith’s hips a sharp squeeze. Like he does when he’s kneeling Keith’s spread legs in bed.

  


His smug smile turns into a surprised moan when Keith’s sharp teeth nip on his bottom lip in reproach. Forgiveness is earned as soon as he groans. They kiss and kiss and kiss until Keith pulls away with a sharp gasp. He tries to pull away but Shiro holds him in place.

  


Shiro presses their foreheads together, letting their hair tangle together, silver and jet black. He presses the tip of his nose against Keith’s cheek. Waits for Keith to open his eyes before whispering, “I love you.”

  


With a slow blink, Keith’s lips turn into a gentle smile Shiro wishes he could trap in a bottle. It’s the most delicate thing. As fragile and breakable as a figure made of spun sugar. Beautiful and fleeting.

  


“I love you too.”

Shiro drops one more kiss on Keith’s soft lips before reminding him, “You’re still my Keith. Galra or not.”

  
Wetness glimmers on the edge of Keith’s dark eyes. His lips tremble against his own before he buries his face against Shiro’s shoulder and whispers, “Thank you.”


End file.
